"Oh, Second Brother, why are you keeping us in suspense? Just tell us! If I learn how, I can catch wild rabbits for the family to eat. Wouldn't that be great?"
Wang Tianxin was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks.
"Haha, look at you monkeys. Well then, I'll tell you. Come on, smell the soil at the entrance of this cave."
Wang Tianxiao handed the soil in his hand to Wang Tianxin and Wang Tiancheng. After watching the two of them put it under their noses and smell it, he asked, "What does it smell like?"
"It stinks," Wang Tianxin said, frowning.
"It smells like a foul odor," Wang Tiancheng said after a moment's thought.
“Tiancheng is more accurate,” Wang Tianxiao said with a smile. “To be precise, it’s not stinky, it’s foul-smelling. That’s the smell of a rabbit’s burrow. A weasel’s burrow is deeper and more winding, so it won’t have this smell at all.”
As he spoke, he stood up again, walked around the area, and squatted down a short distance away. "Look, this is another exit from the rabbit's burrow. They say a cunning rabbit has three burrows, and generally speaking, they will leave at least three entrances. If their population is large enough, the number of entrances will continue to increase, up to a dozen or more."
Curious, Wang Tianxin picked up some soil from the entrance of the hole, smelled it under his nose, and quickly threw it away: "Smelly, indeed top-notch smelly."
His two older brothers couldn't help but laugh at his appearance.
Next, Wang Tianxiao and his two younger brothers placed the cage at the entrance of the hole.
The method is simple: just place the cage with the door against the opening. Once the rabbit rushes out, it will immediately rush back into the cage and won't be able to get out again. However, be careful to secure the cage with chains and rivets; otherwise, the rabbit might run away, resulting in a complete loss.
This method can catch not only rabbits, but also badgers and foxes. However, since they are large, they require larger and heavier cages, and the wire used to weave the cages must be more robust.
To be on the safe side, when catching badgers, Wang Tianxiao would drive a stake into the ground to secure the cage to it. The stake was driven deep into the ground, so that it would be impossible to pull it off unless a wild animal was encountered.
The only drawback of this method of catching wild animals is that it cannot handle large animals.
Examples include bears, leopards, wolves, wild boars, and so on.
Not only can they not be controlled, but they also have to guard against the prey that has already been caught and put into the cage, resulting in losing both the cage and the wild animal.
Fortunately, it is currently hibernation season, so the bears will not come out, and the number of leopards is extremely small. It is said that there are only two leopards in the entire Ziwu Ridge, and they generally do not venture into the outer mountain ranges like Yangzi Ridge.
The most likely scenario is encountering wolves and wild boars.
Wild boars are omnivorous and might not be interested in rabbit cages. As for wolves, they'll kill them if they happen to be on the road. If a rabbit in a cage is secretly eaten, then you're out of luck.
To Wang Tianxiao's surprise, Wang Tianxin turned out to be a very talented hunter.
He quickly figured out the pattern and found the rabbit burrows much faster than Wang Tiancheng. As a result, the cages that were originally planned to be set up in the middle of the night were all put down at the entrance of the burrows by 1 a.m.
The night wind was biting, rustling the remaining leaves. The three brothers stretched and prepared to descend the mountain.
Before they had taken more than a few steps, Wang Tianxin suddenly shouted, "Brother, look, there are people over there."
Wang Tianxiao laughed and said, "How could there be anyone at this hour? It's so dangerous in the mountains, hunters usually don't go out at night... wait, it seems there really is someone."
Wang Tianxiao initially thought his brother was mistaken, but when he looked in the direction his brother was pointing, he actually saw several beams of flashlight light.
"Could it be that someone else is doing the same thing as us, coming up the mountain to set cages or traps?" Wang Tiancheng guessed.
Wang Tianxiao shook his head. "It's hard to say. There are no professional hunters in the villages around us. The few mediocre ones are all armed with old-fashioned guns. They might be able to handle wild animals during the day, but at night, when visibility is poor, it's the best time for wild animals to roam. They probably won't take the risk easily."
"Who could it be?" Wang Tiancheng asked, puzzled.
"Brother, let's go take a look. It looks like it's not far from here." Wang Tianxin couldn't suppress his curiosity.
Wang Tianxiao thought for a moment, then wrapped the flashlight in his handkerchief, leaving only a faint light that could just illuminate a small patch of ground beneath his feet.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
"I suspect this is someone who steals trees."
"Stealing trees?" Neither of his younger brothers understood. Wang Tiancheng asked, "Can't we just cut down trees on the mountain whenever we want?"
“Of course not.” Wang Tianxiao said, both amused and exasperated. “These trees have the function of consolidating the soil and regulating the climate. How can they be cut down at will? It’s not a big deal to cut some branches on the outskirts of the forest for firewood, but tree thieves will steal the whole trees.”
Seeing that they still looked blank, he smiled and said, "Have you forgotten what your brother does? I'm a forest ranger, right? Protecting the forest means protecting it from illegal logging."
"But nobody cared about this place before, right?"
"So, I've been transferred back."
“Ah,” the two younger brothers were very happy, “Brother, you’re not going over there anymore, that’s great.”
Wang Tianxiao smiled.
He only told his wife about his transfer back; no one else knew yet. This was the first time he had told her.
According to his agreement with Dai Zhixin, he would officially take over after the New Year, and he was also allowed to hire two assistants, which was tantamount to acknowledging that he was the branch station manager.
Therefore, Yangziling is currently in a nominally unmanaged area.
But it is not a legal vacuum.
Stealing trees is still illegal; it's just that no one has been caught doing it before.
If the owner of those lights is a poacher, who knows how many trees they've already stolen.
He unslung the gun from his back and slung it over his shoulder, then asked with a smile, "Young comrades, would you like to come with me and drive away that tree-stealing thief?"
Wang Tianxin and Wang Tiancheng exchanged glances and nodded in unison.
“Brother, since it involves embezzling state property and you are in charge, I will definitely help you.” Wang Tiancheng patted his chest. He had always had an upright and honest heart, and he had always been like that throughout his life.
Seeing his fifth brother's stance, Wang Tianxin was not to be outdone and said with great pride, "When brothers are of one mind, their strength can break metal."
Wang Tianxiao was amused by Wang Tianxin's appearance, realizing that the child was indeed a bit dim-witted.
"Alright, let's sneak over there now."
Wang Tianxiao looked at the lights not far away, beams shooting into the sky, and confirmed that they were flashlights.
As for the flashlight's focusing ability, it's the kind of high-intensity military flashlight, professional equipment that ordinary small shops and supply and marketing cooperatives don't sell.
This further proves that this group of people is not simple.
"Remember, walk quietly, and try not to speak unless necessary. Follow my instructions. These people may also have guns, so we must be extra careful."
Wang Tianxiao's tense and cautious demeanor was well conveyed to his two younger brothers, whose expressions also became serious and righteous.
"Then let's go. You two stay close to me and watch your step."
"good."
"Understood, General Ranger."
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